Middle East's best art shows

Italian art exhibition, Jameel art prize and more cultural highlights

By
Time Out Bahrain staff
31 January 2011

Festival Italiano 2011

The second edition of this much-loved Italian festival will be filling the kingdom with the very best from the perky peninsula Bahrain might not have very many Italian expats, but what it lacks in number, it makes up for in energy and national enthusiasm. February is the best time of the year to absorb some of this fantastically vibrant culture, with a plethora of activities happening across several platforms. With everything from screenings of classic Italian films, to a presentation of great Italian cuisine, whether it is the art or the edibles that get you salivating, this one has it all. A major highlight wil be the exhibition entitled ‘Portrait of Renaissance Painting’ at Bahrain National Museum. Six famous works from 16th-century Lombary and Veneto will be flown in specially, to showcase the country’s art at the height of the Renaissance period. The climax of the festival will be a Grand Italian Ball on Thursday, February 10, dance classes for which will be held beforehand. For more information, and for a complete schedule of events, contact the Italian Embassy of Bahrain on 17 252 424

Jameel Prize coming to Bahrain

The biggest Islamic art prize heads to Bahrain for next month’s Spring of Culture festivalThis year’s Spring of Culture Festival looks set to remind the rest of the Gulf that Bahrain truly holds its own when it comes to culture and, more specifically, art. Not least because an exhibition of one of the world’s most respected art awards, the Jameel Prize, will be coming to Muharraq’s Bin Matar House. Established by the V&A Museum in London, it is open to contemporary artists and designers whose work is inspired by Islamic traditions. Exhibiting works from the 2009 biennial prize, including that of the Iranian-born winner, Afruz Amighi (whose ‘1001 Pages’ is pictured right), the awards show promises to be one of the highlights of next month’s festival.For more information, call Bin Matar House on 17 322 549

Mounirah Mosly exhibition

Saudi artist has one of her first full-scale exhibitions in BahrainAs the Saudi art scene grows, so the number of exciting young Saudi artists explodes. One of the most interesting is Mounirah Mosly, whose exhibition, ‘Al Sabiya; Enlightens your Night, Iraq’ is an ode to the region’s historic heart, and an attempt to give artistic merit back to a country that has long been at war. With mournful faces and drenched in melancholic hues, her work can be seen at Albareh Gallery this month. The exhibition kicks off on February 9 and will run until February 27.For more information, call Albareh Gallery on 17 717 707

Turkish delight at La Fontaine

Tradition Turkish art comes to Bahrain’s capital of cultureTurkish artist Belkis Balpinar will be showcasing her kilims (flat tapestry woven carpets) at La Fontaine for the entire month of February. Featuring earthy tones with flashes of colour, these pieces are future classics and are sure to send a thrill through all art lovers.For more information, call La Fontaine on 17 230 123.

Qatar’s latest cultural icon

Doha’s new Mathaf: Museum of Modern Arabic Art features a strong Bahraini presenceMathaf, the world’s first museum dedicated to Arab contemporary art, opened in Doha on December 30. Housed in a temporary building at the far end of the Qatar Foundation, it is a bit of a trek. The collection, however, is superlative. With works by numerous big-hitting artists of the Muslim world, including Bahrainis Faisal Samra and Abdullah al-Muharraqi, it is a fairly comprehensive tour of the past century of Middle Eastern art. The collection also contains four works by one of the world’s most collectable artists, Mahmoud Said, two of whose paintings recently broke records at Christie’s Dubai. The highlight of the collection is his electric ‘Les Chadoufs’, which at one time held the record for the most expensive Middle Eastern painting ever sold. For more information, visit www.mathaf.org.qa